I reckon that will be 22 weeks to fit in 29 league games. Providing there are no further Lockdowns or bad weather it should be possible.
As for the survival package, isn’t it wonderful how Rishi can find all this money. Fear there will be a payback sooner or later.
Further discussion by Leagues today as to whether start date is viable with no secondary spend in tier 2 and no fans allowed in tier 3
Announcement due after meeting and clubs being consulted
Looking at guidelines they are going to need to get special permission to play. As in T3 there are travel restrictions, best hope is things improve and at review the T3 area is downgraded. I don’t see any reason why T3 can’t play T3 , and we can play other T2 sides. All such a mess, but I feel league could have been a bit more prepared for a scenario like this.
Chris, is it your understanding that Tier 2 Clubs can play other Tier 2 Clubs but not Tier 3 ? If that is the case could we play Craig Stone who lives in Kent but obviously plays for us. Certainly agree the whole situation is a mess.
My understanding is that players have dispensation to move freely
I sense that the issues are
Can clubs afford to play with no fans in Tier 3
Can clubs afford to play in tier 2 with no bar, unless providing substantial takeaway food which supporters would have to leave the ground to eat
It’s a mystery to us in tier 1 Cornwall
I think they need special permission as it’s elite players that can travel. Not sure about the food/drink thing as it could be consumed and sold outside. No reason why T2 can’t play T2. But when you consider all the T3 up north don’t know what they will decide in respect of trophy and vase.
Non league paper confirms my earlier post
Players able to travel without restriction for training and matches
Tier 3 behind closed doors
Tier 2 up to 400 spectators but need to serve substantial meal with bar purchases
Consultation with clubs Tuesday
Decision Thursday
Are many T3 clubs going to be able to afford to play? As by playing players will get paid. Our T3 spectators can’t travel to T2. Will some clubs be looking to end season already as it could cost them more to play than not play. Howeve, The league’s management committee need to grow a pair and tell clubs we restart on the 19th and all clubs must abide by their tier restrictions.
Likely to be academic as league unlikely to resume until Kent is in Tier 2
That’s unlikely to be quick
Only option would be for us to arrange any outstanding Hayward’s Heath and Burgess Hill fixtures and pursue FATrophy run
If that’s the case and we can’t resume, the league are going to have to come up with a revised season, comes back to possibly only playing each other once.
The League core philosophy is No games if No fans
At the heart is Kent’s public health rating
Until that changes I can’t see league doing much
Billy’s Twitter account and that of Ollie Baylis make interesting reading
But it’s not the league as a whole it’s 2 divisions, so that makes it a different situation. They should be told to play
Which is precisely what HUFC would obediently do were they in Tier 3 and the Kent clubs were in Tier 2 !!
If Kent clubs were instructed to potentially bankrupt themselves and commit to possibly a whole season playing behind closed doors then there is a good chance that they would refuse to do so. If that happens you would not have a viable league and a bad situation would have suddenly got a whole lot worse.
They should consider only playing each other once, it’s got to be better than another void, I cannot see how Kent and the NE will get out of tier 3 this year, as the rates are still to high and hospitals will be full for at least another month. Then the Xmas effect will send rates up again. Hope I’m wrong but I reckon mid February at earliest for all to get out of T3.
I share your views about a possible improvement in infection rates. No real optimism
The structural inequalities on the Kent coast are likely to be as problematic as they are in the north west.
The only glimmer of hope is political orientation in Kent with the government more susceptible to a Kent lobby than from the Labour controlled authorities
Also important that Sussex does not get sucked into Tier 3 after Christmas
That’s common sense
But if the League is paused these matches would just be friendlies and not official fixtures
Big emphasis in the NonLeague Paper Reports on solidarity across the three Trident Leagues. Perhaps push on Government for financial assistance which would be weakened by splintering.
The possibility of Tier 2 clubs carrying on playing fixtures was described as unfair onTier 3 clubs who presumably would need to cram lots of fixtures in short time
In my early refereeing career the Haringey Sunday League had double headers at end of season
Two consecutive matches between same teams at 40 mins each half
Two match fees for a long mornings work
If teams were badly adrift in game 1 they under performed to save energy for following match
Happy days!
Interesting read from the Observer today which mentions the possibility of Hastings going into Tier 3 as we have had a very sharp rise in cases.
This just highlights how fluid the current situation is in regard to season resumption.
I think the issue is you don’t know where the positive results come from, if it’s high for 2 or 3 days they can be localised events ie school or care home but if they stay high for a week or so it’s a huge problem. You also need to note that those figures are before the end of lockdown.
Think this is very serious as if it carries on along the coast as soon as the East clears it will go the central and west, realistically we must be looking at another potentially void season. Definitely not much chance of a full season.
It was Phil, I see it as only option to a void season
A good way (and perhaps the only way) of reaching a competitive conclusion. However, as before we are all part of a bigger picture. Would the league or division above be happy to accept promoted clubs who have only played half a season ? And is it right to relegate clubs based on half a season's fixtures ?
Anybody got any idea when the season will resume .With most places in Tier 4 and the League giving 14 days notice before resumption can’t see much hope before middle of February . How will the League then be finalised?
Can’t see a full league programme being finished. Anybody got a Crystal Ball ?
Don’t want to appear too pessimistic but with the virus variant running amok can’t see any restart then
Delay in Oxford vaccine approval not helping
Even seeing increase now in Cornwall
I am still of the same opinion play each other once this will result in between 18-23 games for the levels of football played at our level and the level above. The only other action is to void. Working on the assumption that we get a March start playing once should be fine. My fear for the players is that some must be struggling a bit without their money (non contract players I assume won’t be getting any). And would it be fair on them to void the season when they could potentially earn 10 weeks money.
Pessimistic in the Non League Paper this morning . Appears no chance of any football until February at the earliest , with a suggestion that leagues are split into two thus reducing games so that we can finish in May.Anybody got any suggestions?
Whilst reading the NonLeague paper this morning I was listening to Boris Johnson interviewed on Andrew Marr.
He stated that he anticipated even tighter restrictions in the coming weeks
Mini leagues behind closed doors are unlikely to excite clubs because of the revenue losses
From articles I have read it appears for the second year running the League is going to be declared Null and Void.
Not even PPG ....very disappointing. Let’s hope next season starts in August, although listening to Han**** would not put my shirt on that.
Excellent article on Eastbourne Borough web site by Kevin Anderson following their season being declared Null and Void. The sentiments could equally be applied to us, as I am sure we will follow. Looking forward to August no matter what League we are in.
Eastbourne Borough were probably able to afford to play because of the FA Cup money, clubs that didn’t have this or a millionaire backer had no chance.
If there is no football until March 29th or spectators until May 17th I think we shall have to regrettably forego games until next season. But we shall have to wait and see.
But the Isthmian League, 3 a side garden competition can take place from end of March as long as spectators watch from inside and no referees or subs are allowed
Progress
